Ezra 10:1-17

International Children’s Bible

The People Confess Sin

10 Ezra was praying and confessing. He was crying and throwing himself down in front of the Temple. A large group of Israelite men, women and children gathered around him. They were also crying loudly. ² Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel the Elamite spoke to Ezra. Shecaniah said, “We have been unfaithful to our God. We have been marrying women from the peoples around us. But even so, there is still hope for Israel. ³ Now let us make an agreement before our God. We will send away all these women and their children. This is your advice. It is also the advice of those who respect the commands of our God. Let it be done to obey his Teachings. ⁴ Get up, Ezra. You are in charge. But we will support you. So have courage and do it.”

⁵ So Ezra got up. He made these people make a promise: the priests, the Levites and all the people of Israel. They promised to do what was suggested. ⁶ Then Ezra left the Temple. He went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While Ezra was there, he did not eat or drink. He was still sad about the unfaithfulness of the captives who had returned.

⁷ Then an order was sent everywhere in Judah and Jerusalem. All the captives who had returned had to meet together in Jerusalem. ⁸ Whoever did not come to Jerusalem within three days would lose his property. And he would no longer be a member of the community of the returned captives. That was the decision of the officers and elders.

⁹ So within three days all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people were sitting in the open place in front of the Temple. They were upset because of the meeting and because it was raining. ¹⁰ Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful. You have married non-Jewish women. You have made Israel more guilty. ¹¹ Now, confess it to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Do the Lord’s will. Separate yourselves from the people living around you and from your non-Jewish wives.”

¹² Then the whole group answered Ezra. They shouted, “Ezra, you’re right! We must do what you say. ¹³ But there are many people here. It’s the rainy season. We can’t stand outside. Also, this problem can’t be solved in a day or two. We have sinned badly. ¹⁴ Let our officers make a decision for the whole group. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a non-Jewish woman meet with the elders and judges of each town. Let them meet at a planned time. Then the hot anger of our God will turn away from us.” ¹⁵ Only these men were against the plan: Jonathan son of Asahel, Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite.

¹⁶ So the returned captives did what was suggested. Ezra the priest chose men who were leaders of the family groups. He named one from each family division. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to study each case. ¹⁷ By the first day of the first month, they had finished. They had dealt with all the men who had married non-Jewish women.